Minnesotans represent their state well in first weekend of March Madness

Minnesotans represented their home state well in first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

J.P. Macura helped lead Xavier to the Sweet 16. Sanjay Lumpkin and Kyle Washington each played an important role in propelling Northwestern and Cincinnati, respectively, to the Round of 32. Quinton Hooker kept North Dakota’s upset hopes alive against Arizona.

Bjorn BromanWinthropYr./Pos.: Soph./GHigh School: Lakeview Christian Academy (Duluth)
• Broman started and played 19 minutes, scored two points and had three assists in Winthrop’s 76-64 loss to Butler in the Round of 64. His older brother Anders Broman played 16 minutes off the bench, but did not scored and had two assists.

Geno CrandallNorth DakotaYr./pos.: Soph./GHigh School: DeLaSalle
• Crandall scored 12 points, dished out a team-high six assists and had two steals in North Dakota’s 100-82 loss to Arizona in the Round of 64.

Quinton HookerNorth DakotaYr./pos.: Sr./GHigh School: Park Center
• Hooker led North Dakota with 25 points and contributed four assists and one steal while playing 38 minutes in the 100-82 loss to Arizona. He helped cut Arizona’s lead to 68-61 with 11:18 left in the game, but the Wildcats pulled away for the win.

Sanjay LumpkinNorthwesternYr./pos.: Sr./G-FHigh School: Benilde-St. Margaret’s
• Lumpkin scored three points, had one assist and one steal while playing 33 minutes in Northwestern’s first-ever NCAA tournament victory, 68-66 over Vanderbilt. He added four points, three steals, one block and one assist in the Wildcats' near-upset of No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the Round of 32. Gonzaga held on for the 79-73 victory. Lumpkin and Northwestern coach Chris Collins shared a special moment at the end of Saturday’s game when the senior left the floor for the last time in his college career. The cameras caught Collins thanking Lumpkin for everything he had done to help Collins rebuild the program.

Zach LoftonTexas SouthernYr./pos.: Jr./GHigh School: Columbia Heights
• Lofton, the Southwestern Conference Player of the Year, made just two field goals and had nine points, two assists and one steal in the 103-64 blowout loss to North Carolina in the Round of 64.

J.P. MacuraXavierYr./pos.: Jr./GHigh School: Lakeville North
• Macura totaled 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in two upset victories sending Xavier to the Sweet 16. He scored 10 points and had five rebounds in the 76-65 victory over Maryland, and 10 points five assists in the 91-66 blowout of Florida State.

Marcus MarshallNevadaYr./pos.: Sr./GHigh School: St. Paul Johnson
• Marshall played all 40 minutes and scored 16 points, had five assists, four rebounds and four steals in Nevada’s 84-73 loss to Iowa State in the Round of 64.

Kyle WashingtonCincinnatiYr./pos.: Jr./FHigh School: Benilde-St. Margaret’s
• Washington scored 16 points and had four rebounds in Cincinnati’s 75-61 victory over Kansas State in the Round of 64. UCLA shut down the starting forward in the Round of 32, holding Washington to just four points and six rebounds in the Bruins’ 79-67 victory.